SUPPORT TO THE INTERNATIONAL TRAINING NETWORK (ITN) CENTRE

ITN started operation in 1997 and is located at and part of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). ITN has a national network of eight sub centres in other technical institutions in Bangladesh, with the ITN Centre at BUET as the focal point.

ITN Centre is contributing to poverty reduction through its focus on development of sustainable water supply and sanitation systems. The institution has today positioned itself in the water and sanitation sector as a capacity building tool for sustainable development of water and sanitation services.

The Development objective of the ‘Knowledge Development and Training Networking’ Project is implemented by ITN Centre to contribute to poverty reduction through improved standard of public health and improved sustainable environment.
 

The main objectives of the component are to strengthen the capacity of the Bangladeshi Government, local government institutions and non-government stakeholders at all levels in order to improve the sector capacity of sustainable water and sanitation services and to enhance the capacity of ITN Centre to promote operational management and sector support.

ITN Centre plays an important role in bridging between academic and implementing organisations. Its primary role is to:

1. Fill knowledge gaps through high level scientific research, studies and documentations; 
2. inculcate skills among key sector professionals;
3. to strengthen tertiary level training and education of practitioners in the Water Supply and Sanitation (WSSP) sector through its network, training courses, workshops, seminars, conferences etc. 
4. provide advisory services to sector organisations including government, external support agencies, line and concerned ministries to promote water and sanitation development;
5. disseminate lessons and experiences through publications in order to facilitate a sustainable development within the water and sanitation sector.

Sector capacity building activities are coordinated with the other components within the Water Supply and Sanitation Programme Support (WSSPS) Phase II. ITN Centre does furthermore assist components and projects in providing advice on research and development activities, production of training materials and modules.

The total budget for International Training Network Centre is DKK 7.8 million for a period of 5 years - January 2006 to December 2010. ITN/BUET contribute with DKK 1.4 million while Danida’s contributions accounts for DKK 6.4 million.
ITN will during the 5 year WSSPS II period seek to be more financially viable by diversifying its operations so that it provides services with support from a range of different sources.

The target groups for ITN are primarily faculty members and students of technical institutes, technical personnel in the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Non-Governmental Institutions (NGOs), staff at Local Government Institutions (LGI) and several other departments and components which are concerned with water supply and sanitation.

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